While many high school students yearn for summer vacation, for De La Salle Collegiate junior Gabe Enghauser summer can’t get here fast enough. 

In early July, he will be attending the Rice University Aerospace Academy, in Houston, TX, learning from numerous professors, before heading to NASA’s Houston Center where the group will design and launch a satellite into space. 

Although the Rice program is highly selective, and 2000 students were invited to apply, Gabe was able to enroll immediately due to his merit and extracurricular achievements. He has joined several clubs and associations to expand his knowledge, including the Warren Astronomical Society (WASP) and the Astronomical League (The League); Gabe is a longstanding member of the Tripoli Rocketry Association (TRA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR). 

He is currently working to cover the nearly $7,000 cost of the program, but Gabe says the program is “worth every penny.”

Gabe is no stranger to launches.

As a sophomore, he spearheaded the new Rocketry Club, and the group has worked together to have bigger rockets that launch higher each time. Read more.

But the Rice University program is not the only destination for Gabe this summer. 

In late July, Gabe will be attending the first session of the Elite Advanced Space Academy program in Huntsville, AL.

Gabe says he’s “over the moon” about this six-day program, which includes actual astronaut training and guest speakers from NASA.

He’s also applying to the U.S. Naval Academy’s Summer STEM program and Purdue’s Seminar for Top Engineering Prospects (STEP). 

With all of those camps and programs, Gabe plans to work on several of his personal projects. This list is just a sample from his lengthy list. 

• A custom-built 3D printer, using scrapped parts from various other printers, along with some brand new parts, such as the nozzle. The aim is to have a “new” printer, with the only original part being its frame. 
• A high-powered research laser is also on his list, as he plans its design, and tries to figure out where to buy materials, and how to pay for them.
• A 3-D-printed miniature research submarine.
• Custom-built liquid-fueled rocket engine

Mr. Rob Black, DLS Faculty Member and the Moderator of the DLS AutoPilots, said, “Gabe is one of the most ambitious and motivated students I have had the pleasure of teaching. He has set his goals high and is tenacious in his attempts to reach them.”

Black added, “As a leader on our world-qualifying robotics team, Gabe is always willing to find creative ideas for our robot and teach others about 3-D printing.”

Read more about the AutoPilots as they prepare for the March 2025 competition.